Hope in the Darkness
by SongsofPsyche1945
Summary: Saruman's daughter is captivated by his new prisoner; a man named Estel.  Rated T just in case/Aragorn torture. AU/OC
1. The New Prisoner

*Hi all! After reading all the other Aragorn fanfic I decided to give it a try myself. Just for the fun of it. Please review and let me know if I should continue.

Summary: Saruman's adopted daughter is captivated by his new prisoner; a man named Estel. (I dont exactly know when this takes place, since I have only seen the movies. I havnt decided yet if its during the movies/books or before. I need your opinions!) Please let me know.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or settings from LOTRs. The only thing I own is my OCs.

"Alisada, wake up!"

I jolt awake in bed, it is morning. I turn to see my father, Lord Saruman looking in at me through the doorway.

"I cannot believe you are still asleep. I need your help in the dungeons today. We have a new prisoner that will not break. I expect to see you downstairs in ten minutes"

And then he left.

I sigh, then get out of bed. I hate doing father's bidding, especially when it comes to the prisoners. I hate gaining their trust and then exposing them. Its a sick little game my father likes to play. The worst thing is that I have to or else my life will be on the line. The one thing I learned here very fast was to not upset him, or I will have to pay the consequences with brutal beatings that seem to last a lifetime. If only I could run away, but where would I go? This is the only home I have. If Saruman hadnt taken me in after my parents were killed by Orcs when I was a child, I dont know where I would be.

I pull on my midnight blue day dress, then pull my long black hair into a bun that hangs at the nap of my neck. I slip on my black leather boots, pull on my black cloak and then head downstairs quickly. I cannot risk being late.

I see father waiting for me at the foot of the staircase.

"Good morning father."

"You are late."

That is his typical greeting. He turns towards the dungeons.

"Come"

And starts walking down. I follow behind him, my cloak billowing. The dungeon is very dark, with only the oil lamps for light. Father stops in front of one of the cells and hands me a tray. On it is a few chunks of bread and cheese, a bowl of hot water and some rags.

"He is getting weaker. You must get him to eat and clean him up or else he is useless to us."

He opens the door for me and motions for me to go inside. "I will leave the door open for you, there is no chance of him escaping." he says, and then pushes me inside.

It takes my eyes a few seconds to adjust, and then I see a lone figure sitting in the very far corner of the cell. As I approach I notice that his hands are bound behind him, and his feet are shackled to the floor. A thick clothe covers his mouth, gagging him. His head rests against the wall and his eyes are closed. Blood is caked around the gag and on his forehead. I see many bruises and abrasions. Poor man. I cannot tell if he is asleep or not. As I approach him slowly, his eyes snap open and he looks at me with steely grey eyes.

"Hello" I say softly, hoping he understands common tongue. He remains motionless, but keeps his eyes on me. I kneel down next to him, this startles him and he tries to move away from me but cannot. His bounds make it impossible for him to move at all.

"Its alright. I just brought you some food" I tell him, and then I undo the gag and untie his wrists. He remains motionless for a few seconds, then pulls his hands in front of him and winces softly. I see bloody rope marks on his wrists.

"Here" I tell him, wetting the rag and handing it to him "clean yourself up, you cannot risk getting an infection". He takes the rag and wipes his face and hands. When he is done I take the rag and give him a chunk of bread.

"Eat." I tell him. He takes the bread in one hand but does not eat it. He stares at me, his eyes narrowing.

"Why are you helping me?" he whispers softly.

I try to hide my pained expression. "Because it is my duty. I am a servant of Saruman." His eyes flash with fear, he throws the bread to the ground. "then why should I trust you?"

"Because I am the only thing you can trust in this place."

He glares at me "Get out. I am will not make alliances with the enemy."

I hesitate for only a second, then I reach for the shackles hanging from the ceiling. In a quick flawless motion I clip them on his wrists.

"The you have chosen to remain friendless." I tell him coldly then I leave, slamming the door shut behind me.

*what do ya'll think? Should I continue? Please read and review!*


	2. Chapter 2

*Here is chapter 2. Remember this is an AU so anything I say, goes regardless of whether its correct in the books/movies. Please R&R, and I hope you like it! *

"So, Alisada. Did you learn anything from him?" Father asks me coldly as I step from the dungeon. I shake my head.

"Only that he is stronger then you think." I answer.

"Did he eat?"

"No"

"Fool of a girl!" He grabs me by my hairs and pulls me close. "He is useless to us if he remains weak. We need answers from him now. You need to break him." He whispers threateningly to me.

The only thing I can do is nod. He pushes me harshly away from him. "Go to your room. We will try this again tomorrow." He says, and I do. When I get to my room I fall onto my bed and suppress a sob. How did I get into this? There was something about this man, something about his eyes that makes me shiver. He is not like the others. I wonder who he is, and how he came to be here. Then briefly wish that father would just tell me, but I push that aside because it is a useless wish. He never tells me anything. I feel my eyes becoming heavy, and before I know it I am asleep.

"WHERE IS IT? WHO HAS THE RING OF POWER? I KNOW OF YOUR FELLOWSHIP, TELL ME WHERE IT IS!"

I am once again jolted away. My bedroom shakes with the power of Saruman, obviously the interrogation is not going well. I sigh, then sit up in bed. I listen to the antagonizing screams of the man being tortured. Soon I will be in his cell once more, attempting to gain false trust so I can betray him later.

All of a sudden I get this crystal clear thought inside my head; I will not do it. I will not condemn another man to his death. This thought, this epiphany makes my hands shake. How? The only thing I can think of is running away, and that is nearly impossible for who can hide from the all seeing Saruman? Unless, maybe I can get this man to help me. Maybe he has alliances? Or maybe he is a ranger of the north? I shake my head, I really don't know anything about him. Im going to have to talk to him a few times, maybe we could help each other escape? Hope fills my chest with this idea, and I start pacing my room, waiting for father to retrieve me to go talk to this man once more.

"Alisada?"

I open the door before he can knock.

"Come. You know what you need to do."

I follow father down the dark tunnels to the dungeon. Once again he hands me a tray of bread, water and rags.

"Do it right this time. I need to know where the Ring is now. I need to know who has it."

He opens the door for me and I enter the small cell. The door slams shut behind me. I let me eyes adjust as I look around, I find him in the same corner. His wrists and ankles are shackled to the floor. His face is bloody. I kneel down next to him and he gives me the same steely glare.

"I know this is hard for you, but I need you to trust me." I tell him quietly.

"How can I, when you are the enemy?" he responds.

"You just...have to because... I think I can rescue us both" I say slowly, trying to formulate the thousands of thoughts running through my head into something that is sensible.

"And how will you do that?"

"By running." I answer. He raises his eyebrows at me.

"I havn't figured the details out yet, I just know that I cannot betray any more men."

To my surprise, he nods. I dip one of the rags into the water. "Here" I tell him, then hand him the rag. As he cleans, I ask "What is your name?" He pauses, then replies "Estel. What is yours?"

"Alisada."

He nods again.

"Do you know why your here?" I ask him. He nods "Saruman knows that I have valuable information about the Ring. I was captured while leading Rohan's citizens to Helms Deep. We were attacked by the Wolf Riders of Sarumon."

"Okay. What do you know about this ring?" I ask.

He nods "Its bearer heads north, towards Mordor to destroy it."

I nod again. Then hand him a piece of bread. "It is not poison, I promise.". He smilies weakly and takes it. "Thank you."

Then I hear a knock on the door. "Alisada your time is up." I hear father say calmly. I stand up, leaving the tray. "Ill come back" I whisper, then walk towards the door and open it. Father is there on the other side. I glance back at Estel, who is staring at me intently, then exit the cell.

Father does not speak until we reached the top of the stairs.

"What did you find?" He asks. I sigh, then answer "Not too much. Only his name and a general direction."

"That is acceptable. What were they?"

I should lie about the true location of the Ring, but I see no harm in telling father his real name. "His name is Estel and the ring bearer is heading...east." I answer.

"Ah, so we have managed to capture the heir of Gondor. Excellent." Father replies. I stare at him in horror. "What?" I whisper.

"Estel, also know as Aragorn is the last remaining decedent of Islidur. I have been searching for him for a long time." He then smiled evilly "I have something special planned for him." I stare at his in disbelief. What had I done?

** I know its a cliff hanger! The next chapter will be up soon, please be patient. Read and Review and have a happy Thanksgiving! **


	3. Chapter 3

When I get up to my room I immediately begin to pace. What have I done? I know of Gondor, it is the city of men. From the little that Father has told me about my real parents, I know that this city is where I am from. Did I just contribute to its downfall? If Gondor falls then what will become of Middle Earth? I know father is in alliance with the Dark Lord. It pains me everyday that I am forced to contribute to the opposing side. I should be standing next to Gondor fighting! Something needs to be done. If this man, Estel or Aragorn or whatever his name is can save this war, then he must be set free. I must escape from this.

As I am pacing, trying to formulate I plan, I hear it; A bloodcurdling scream coming from the dungeons. The torture has begun. I need to think quickly. First I need to pack here, then get down to the dungeons, free Estel and then get to the stables and get out of here. It sounds easy enough, as long as we are not caught.

I quickly pack my bag with clothes, and some of the food that I have hidden in my room. When that is packed, I chance into my dark brown traveler's dress. I would have preferred pants but I have none. When I am done, I began pacing again trying to ignore the ever going screams.

It is not until long after nightfall that the screams stop. I wait another hour, until all is quiet and then I silently head down towards the dungeon.

I open the cell door with the stolen keys as quietly as I can. I am not supposed to be here. I raise my lamp and walk over to the figure in the corner. He looks much weaker then he did before; his head rests against the corner wall, and through his hair I see dark red marks around his neck. He does not acknowledge me as I approach him.

"Who are you? Tell me the truth!" I ask him, almost angrily.

He doesn't even acknowledge my presence.

" Aragorn, please tell me who you are? Are you truly the heir of Islidur?" I ask, using the name father had spoken.

He remains silent, his eyes move down to his shackled hands and he sighs quietly. He will not look at me. "why are you silent? please tell me." I ask him, his eyes fly up and meet mine then he lips begin to move but he makes no sound. "Can you not speak?" I asked him quietly. He nods and taps his throat with one hand. I stare at him in disbelief, what kind of torture had my father used on this man to render him mute? "Did Fa-Saruman do this?" I ask, knowing that its an obvious question but I just wanted to make sure. He nods again.

"Then we have to get out of will be killed." I tell him. I kneel down next to him and fumble with the keys. "Give me you hands." I ask. He doesnt move at all. I look at his face, and see defeat. I give a frustrated sigh, then grab his left wrist, and start trying the keys. He doesnt resist at all. I finally find the right one, and quickly unlock his other hand. Then I move to his ankles. Once he is free, I stand up.

"Can you stand?" I ask. He nods. I offer my hand to help him up and he takes it. "Can you walk?" I ask, he nods again. "Good, then lets go." and we exit the cell.

"Act like you know what your doing even when you dont." I mutter underneath my breathe as we climb up the stares. We need to go to my room, then the stables, find a horse somehow escape without being seen. I stop on the stairs.

"how are we going to do this?" I whisper out loud.

Aragorn just shrugs

"thanks, thats very helpful, ill try that." I shoot back sarcastically at him. I am beginning to feel frustrated. Then I immediately feel bad for snapping, he cant help his silence.

"We need to get to the stables." I tell him, "but first we need my bag. Its in my room." he just nods then motions with his hands as if to say "lead the way."

We somehow manage to get to my room without being seen. I shut the door and lock it behind me.

I grab the bag that I had packed earlier. I hesitate, then rummage around in my desk for a notebook and a few pencils.

"For you." I tell him. He blushes a deep red, but nods thanks.

"Did you have weapons? Did they take them from you?" I asked him. He nods. Damn. I'll have to run back down to the dungeon and retrieve them.

"What did they look like? I will get them."

He tries to speak, his lips form words but no sounds. He sighs in frustration then motions for the notebook and pencil. I give them to him and he begins to draw out a sword, and then a few smaller knifes. He then writes a few sentences in elvish. He points to the sentences, then to the sword. "those are the markings on the sword?" I ask him. He nods. I take the drawings. "Okay. There is a washroom there behind the bed if you need to. Stay quiet, and I will be right back."

I slowly walk down to the dungeon once again. Trying to be very quiet. I still have the keys in my pocket, and then jangle with an uncommon loudness. When I reach the door to the room that contains the weapons of those condemned, I fumble with the keys. Which one is it? After a few attempts I finally find the right one. I open the door and look around for Estel's sword. I find it, along with the two knifes and a belt in a bundle in a cabinet. They are wrapped in a thick wool cape, which I assume is his as well. To make things easier, I pull the cape over my shoulders and buckle the belt around my waist. The I hurry back up to my room.

He is sitting on my bed when I reenter my room. He raises his eyebrows slightly when he sees me wearing his things.

"Sorry, but I needed to carry them somehow." I tell him, as I hand him his cloak and belt. He nods thanks.

I quickly walk over to my closet and pull out my own traveler's cloak, and then rummage around until I find my sword. I pull the cloak on and attache the sword to my dress with a string, for I don't own a belt.

I pick up the backpack and sling in on my shoulder. I take a deep breath. "Are you ready?" I ask, he nods. "Good, then lets go." and we step out of the room, into the blackness of the hallway.

The fortress it quiet as we silently walk through the hallways towards the stables. I see nobody and pray that my father wont awaken. We reach the stables without anyone questioning.

"Thank goodness." I sigh in relief as I quickly saddle one of the horse. "We will have to ride together." I tell him. He just nods.

When the horse is saddled and ready, I motion for Aragorn to mount first. "You seem like you know how to ride." I tell him, not wanting to fully admit that I have never been on a horse before. He nods and mounts gracefully, then offers an arm to pull me up.

As he does, the sleeve of his shirt slides and I see the marks from the shackles. Guilt racks through me. If it had not been for me he wouldn't be like this. I so badly want to tell him I am sorry, but I cannot. I am too cowardly. For it I did I would be admitting that I had been an alliance of the enemy.

I silently accept his arm. "Thank you" I tell him. He just nods, and then stirs the horse toward the open stable door.

As we gallop away, I smilie for the first time in days. I am finally free.


	4. Chapter 4

*Please Read and Review!*

We ride until morning, until we are both exhausted. I dont know if Estel knows where he is going, but it seems like he does. We finally stop in a well protected area covered in boulders. I hear the trickle of a stream nearby, this is perfect. Estel dismounts gracefully then holds out a hand for me. I take it, but loose my balance and fall off. He catches me, our faces are two inches from each other and I can tell he is amused. "Oh stop laughing. I know I am clumsy." I tell him. I see a smile for a quick second but then it is gone. He pulls away from me and secures the horse, then begins gathering wood for a fire. I stand next to the horse awkwardly. I have no idea how to help.

"Anything I can do?" I ask

He shakes his head, and countinues to build the fire. He somehow manages to light in within a few minutes.

"Wow, you really know what your doing." I compliment him with a smile.

"How did you get so good?"

He shrugs.

I sit down next to him and warm my hands. For the first time I can really see him in the light. He has dark shoulder length hair, a strong jaw and grey eyes. I cannot tell how old he is, one minute he looks as young and me and the next he looks old enough to be my grandfather. I cannot figure this man out. He notices me staring, then tries to speak but cannot make a sound. He tries several more times and then sighs and motions like he is writing. I nod, and dig around in my back pack for the pencil and paper. As I hand it to him he nods thanks, and then begins writing;

"Thank you for helping me escape." I read.

"Your welcome."

He the paper back and begins to write something else. I read;

"To answer your question; I was a ranger of the north for some time."

I smilie, remembering my speculations about him that I had made yesterday.

"Where do you plan on heading now?"

He writes,

"I must get to Helms Deep. I need to warn Rohan that Saruman's army is coming."

I nod, "alright. May I come with you?" I ask him, he shrugs, then writes,

"I dont know."

"I have no where else to go. I have never been outside of Saruman's tower." I tell him. He raises his eyebrows at me as if to say "really?".

I nod, "all my life I have been forced to do his bidding, forced to betray countless men and forced to call the one I hate the most Father."

He looks up at me and stares.

"I finally realized I had had enough. Which is why I helped you. Please, take me with you?" I finish, hoping that he could trust me enough to let me come with him.

He eyes narrow, and I can tell he is sizing me up. Finally, after what seems like an eternity he nods and gives me a slight smile.

"Thank you!"

I pull out the food I had packed from my pack, surveying how much I have.

"How many days until we reach Helms Deep?" I ask. He tries to speak, again making no sounds, then holds up two fingers.

"two days?"

He nods.

"Alright, we should have enough food." I tell him, and then hand him a roll and some smoked meat. He nods thanks and accepts the food.

We eat in silence, but a thousand questions are running through my head. Is this man really the King? What do I call him, Estel? Aragorn? Your majesty? Will he ever be able to speak again? Where is Helms Deep? Will he lead men to battle? How will he do that if he cannot speak?

I am too shy to ask him any of these questions, then he notices me staring at him and gives me a questioning look. I shake me head, "Sorry." He shrugs it off. He grabs the pen and paper and writes;

"Get some sleep, we will need to ride fast tomorrow."

I nod but ask "What about you?" He shakes his head and points to the horizon "I'll watch." he mouths, pointing to himself.

"Alright, goodnight, Estel" I say, and he nods.

I fall asleep to the crackling of the fire and the twinkling of the stars. Tomorrow begins my new journey to Helms Deep.


	5. Chapter 5

I awaken to a hand shaking my shoulder. I open my eyes; it is barely light outside. "What time is it?" I murmur sleepily, still waking up. I sit up and Estel nods good morning, then hands be a cup of something hot. It smells like tea.

"Thank you Estel."

He nods, and then starts to write something on the paper. I notice that he looks grimmer, and sadder than before.

"I havn't heard that name spoken out loud in a long time; it is the name of my childhood. Please, call me Aragorn."

"Alright, Aragorn." I answer, then ask "How is your voice?"

He shrugs, and then attempts speaking again. Nothing. He touches his fingers to his forehead, looking frustrated and defeated.

"Its alright, we'll figure something out. Saruman's spell cannot last forever." I tell him, trying to be comforting. He shrugs again, looking doubtful.

I sip my tea, its very good. Almost like peppermint. Aragorn is writing something else on the paper;

"If we leave now, we may reach Helm's Deep late this evening."

I can tell he is anxious to get going. I nod, "Alright. Im am ready when you are." I tell him, and begin drinking my tea faster.

We are back on the horse about fifteen minutes later, heading towards the west.

We arrive at Helms deep just after sunset, after riding all day, I am exhausted. As we approach the tall walls I turn around and ask him;

"What are you going to tell them?"

I then immediately regret asking, because he now looks even more concerned, defeated and doubtful than he did before. He shakes his head, as if to say "I dont know."

"Im sorry." I say quietly, but then he puts his hand on mine and squeezes it

"its okay".

As soon as we enter the gates, I realize how influential of a person Aragorn must be. Many people shout in relief;

"Thank goodness, Its Lord Aragorn!"

"We are saved!"

Aragorn dismounts, then helps me. I am a bit more graceful this time. He hands the horse over to an attending, and then motions for me to follow him. I do, trying not to loose him in the bustle of people in the corridors. As we approach two big doors, a tall being, with fair blonde hair and bright blue hair approaches. An Elf!

"You are late." He says. I can see he is trying to hide a smile.

Aragorn puts a hand on the elf's shoulder and smilies. The elf returns his smilie and then hands him something.

"you wouldnt want to loose this." he says. I step forward to see what it is; a beautiful white and silver pendant. The elf sees me. "Who is this?" he asks, directing the question to Aragorn. I answer;

"I am Alisada, a citizen of Rohan." I tell him. Its a bit of a white lie, but its better than the truth. The elf nods.

"Its a please to meet you, Alisada. Im sure you will be safe here in Helm's Deep."

"Thank you."

He turns to Aragorn.

"King Theodon is inside, Im sure he wishes to speak with you." Aragorn nods again, then puts the pendant around his neck. He looks almost scared. I decide to speak up;

"May I come, I have news of Saruman. He is mobilizing an army, the King needs to know." I tell Legolas. He just nods, "Thank you, Alisada but a court is no place for a woman. Lord Aragorn and I will handle this." and then he gives me another nod, dismissing me.

Aragorn tries to suppress a yawn, and then winces. Holding a hand to his chest. Legolas's notices his discomfort. "You should rest first, I will tell the King about Saruman's army. Come, I will show you your quarters" He tells his friend. Aragorn nods thanks, and then turns to me and motions for me to follow him. And I do, looking forward to a change of clothes and a full nights rest after a long ride.

I wake up late the next morning, on my own cot in my own room. I stretch and get up, hoping to find some breakfast. As I am looking for food, I think of Aragorn. It seems like this place needs him. From what I saw and heard last night, it seems like we are going into a loosing battle. There is barely 300 men here, and Saruman's army is of 10,000. Where is Aragorn? Did he tell Legolas? He seems like a person everyone can trust, I am sure he will be able to help. If he truely is the heir to Gondor, leadership is in his blood. I hope he knows this, he seems so unsure of himself.

I finally find breakfast (a role of bread, I grab two), and I decided to go outside to eat it. Helms deep is bustling with movement; horses, and people are moving all around carrying blades, armor, food and other things. I scan the area, looking for a place to sit, and then I look upward towards one of the towers and I see Aragorn sitting on the ledge, looking out into the distance. I smile, then head up there hoping he will let me sit with him.

He is sitting quietly, looking grave.

"Good morning!" I say, trying to be cheerful, he turns around and looks at me, then nods.

"I brought you some breakfast." I tell him, handing him the bread.

He takes it but does not eat.

"Are you alright?" I ask him

He shrugs, and I see fear in his eyes. I put my hand on his shoulder

"You can..."

But then I am interrupted by someone saying "Aragorn!"

I turn around and see his elf friend, Legolas. He acknowledges me with a nod, and walks over, looking concerned.

"You have been here for nearly a day and you have still remained silent. Is something troubling you?" he says

Aragorn shakes his head, I can tell that he is having difficultly trying to figure out how to tell his friend that he is mute. He taps his throat, then shakes his head again.

"You cannot speak?" Legolas asks, Aragorn nods.

"How did this happen?" Legolas asks.

Aragorn shoots me a look, I sigh and then say.

"He was tortured by Saruman." I tell him.

"And how do you know this?"

"because we both escaped from Saruman's fortress." I tell him, leaving out the part of me almost betraying Aragorn to my father.

"This cannot be true, we need your voice in this war!" He exclaims to Aragorn, very frustrated.

Aragorn sighs and then begins to walk away, down the staircase and towards the door. "Wait!" I shout, running after him, grabbing his shoulder. "Where are you going?" I ask. He ignores me.

"Aragorn you cannot abandon these people. You are their leader, their king." I shout after him. He turns on his heals and glares at me.

"I am no king." he mouths slowly.

Then I see the defeat in his eyes. He is giving up.

I follow him. This can't be happening. We are on the brink of war with no defenses and our only hope is walking out the door.

"Yes you are." I shout at him. He doesnt stop.

"Aragorn, I dont know you very well, but from what Ive seen I know that you are a natural leader. Even if you cant utter a word these people will still follow you. They need you. Please dont run away." he stops, and I catch up to him and look in his eyes.

"look, I know this is hard, but you are so strong. They need you, I need you. We will be able to all look out for each other and win this only if you stay." I say, giving him a pleading look. "Please?" I ask.

He sighs, and then nods.

I smile "Good, then lets go plan for battle!"


	6. Chapter 6

*Sorry about the long wait, its been very busy with Christmas and everything. I am leaving for ITALY to study abroad in 13 days! Very exciting! Hopefully I will be able to update over there. Here is the next chapter, please read and then review!*

"What do you mean he cannot speak?" the King whispers, leaning in towards me.

I sit quietly next to Aragorn and shake me head "I do not know what Fa-Lord Saruman did to him, I only know that he is unable to utter a sound." I explain, trying not to show my frustration honestly don't know what father did, or how to undo it. If only the King would understand that! I look over at Aragorn, he is staring down at his folded hands on the table. King Theoden is pacing in front of us, looking angry, and afraid.

"Then he is no use to us."

Aragorn looks up at Theodon and gives him a harsh glare. He motions to me for pencil and paper. I dig through my bag and hand it to him. He begins writing immediately.

"How can you say that? A man does not necessarily need a voice to communicate. There are other ways." I argue

"Like what?"

"Hand signals, noisemakers, or writing. We can do this, we can win."

Aragorn taps his fingers on the table and hands me the paper with writing.

"See, my Lord, we are already doing it." I tell him, and then begin to read outloud:

"Gandalf the White will arrive at dawn tomorrow. I am sure he will have a solution. Until then, I believe I can be of use to you if we are able to devise a plan that will allow us to communicate with each other during the battle."

"And what do you suggest?" he asks Aragorn.

Aragorn grabs the paper from me and writes "Horns and hand signals." as I read outloud, Theodan nods. I can tell he is warming up to the idea.

"We can create different sounds for different commands. My men are fast learners. We can teach them quickly." he says.

"I will go in search of a horn. You and Lord Aragorn can start matching sounds to commands." he continues.

I nod "Very well, my Lord." I tell him, and then he walks off briskly.

I turn to Aragorn, "Shall we start? I really don't know anything about battle commands, so you will have to show me." I tell him. He nods, and begins writing;

"Thank you for being my voice. May I ask you one more favor? Can you go and find Legolas for me? In order for this to work he must know the code for the commands as well."

I read, then reply "Your welcome. Of course I will."

Then I stand up, and begin to search for the elf. Feeling slightly rejected. I would of liked to speak more with Aragorn.

I find Legolas in the armory talking softly to the dwarf, Lord Gimli. I walk over to him and tap him arm.

"Excuse me, um, Legolas. Lord Aragorn requests your presence in the main room." I tell him.

He nods, "Thank you, Lady Alisada." He says, and the swiftly passes me and makes his way towards the main room.

Lord Gimli looks at me. "How is he?" he asks

"Lord Aragorn?" I answer, slightly confused.

"Are the rumors true? Is his voice truely lost?"

"I wouldnt say that it is entirely lost, more like temporarily frozen. I'm sure Gandalf will be able to cure whatever ails him." I answer, trying to sound positive.

The dwarf nods. "Aye, just the sound of Gandalf's name brings me hope. May he arrive quickly and free Aragorn of this curse."

I nod. "Yes, may he do so."

"Well, Lass. You must find yourself some armor,and a sword." he tells me. I look at him in surprise. "Why?" I ask, for I had every intention on joining the women and children in the caves when the fighting began.

"I believe Lord Aragorn will need you by his side."

I look at him, confused. "Why do you say that?"

Gimli pats me on the shoulder, "Just something the Elf said earlier. Pay no attention to an old dwarfs mumblings. But the armor and swords are to my left if you wish." he says as he passes by me and leaves me standing alone.

Aragorn? Need me? I walk over and pick up a sword. I should fight with him, after all we have been through. I wonder what Legolas said to Gimli? I swish the sword and cut the air. I will fight standing next to and we will win!

**Sorry about the lame ending. The next chapter will be better I promise. Its very late here and I am very tired. Please read and review!**


	7. Chapter 7

Hi all! Here I am, back again this time typing from ROME, ITALY! Ciao! Hope you enjoy this one, please review when you are done!

"Why are you in here? Your going to have to fight." Legolas tells me, his face grim.

I look up at him from the rock I am sitting on. I had decided last minute to accompany Lady Eowyn in the caves with the women and children. Regardless of what the elf had said earlier, something deep inside was telling me not to fight. And besides, she seemed like she needed more help then the men outside. I had been relieved when she asked me for help, I had seen the armies that Saruman had built and I did not want to be part of the battle.

"You must be out on the forfront within the hour"

"WHAT?" I stand up and shout at the elf. A few of the women and children look up at me, surprised by my outburst.

"You have to be by his side, you have to shout his commands." He rubs his ears "Your voice is certainly loud enough."

"Why? I thought Theodan's men were fast learners, I thought they were going to listen to the horn."

"That has changed. Theodan is commanding his men now, Aragorn is commanding Haldir and his troops."

I am very confused. "Who's Haldir? What are you talking about?" I ask him.

"The elves have come to fight for us."

"They came now?"

"Yes. We have no time to teach them. Battle is upon us."

"Why me?"

"Lord Aragorn requested you, he trusts you."

I sigh, and then nod. "Alright. But if I die, my ghost will haunt your skinny little butt for the rest of eternity. Same goes for Aragorn." I mumble, walking past him and back out into the fort.

Legolas leads me into the armory. I stare at all the men getting ready, and fight a building sense of panic. This is what had faltered me before, their eyes have no hope in them. They are scared. What I had said earlier to Aragorn, "We can fight them, and we will win!" now seems ridiculous. How can we win? Why did I even say that?

Someone hands me a helmet, chain mail, armor, a sword. I stare at the equipment in my arms, how can this even protect me? I don't even know how to put it on. Then I see Aragorn, sharpening his sword. He meets me in the eye and smilies at me. He trusts me? How can he trust me, I am nothing, I have no courage. It left me when I realized that the outlook of this battle is not going to be in our favor. The room tilts slightly and I suddenly cant catch my breath. I hear the clatter of the armor as it falls from my arms, I see Aragorn stand up and then I bolt from the armory.

I want to run as fast as I can until I am far away from here. Far away from the hopeless stares and defeated faces. Unfortunately, I am trapped in Helm's Deep. How is this any different from a prison? We are all trapped. I run up the stairs in the darkening light and try to find a place to sit and calm down. I find a secluded nook and slide down against the wall. I put my head in my hands and try to control my sudden gasps for breathe. My hands shake. I have not had a full on panic attack in years. Tears run down my face, I grasp my knees, trying to stop shaking. My breathing hitches as I sob into my hands. I hope no one can hear me, this is not what people need to see right now. As far as I know, they think I'm still the strong women that rescued Aragorn from Saruman. What will they think if they see me now?

I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder. I open my eyes and peer up through my fingers. I see a very concerned Aragorn staring back. He kneels down next to me, even though he says nothing his eyes say clearly "are you okay?". I nod, "I'm alright" I manage between the hitches of breathe, "Pre-battle jitters, you know?" I tell him. He just nods, then he reaches out with a handkerchief and wipes my tears from my face. I am trying desperately to control my breathing, but the more I struggle against it, the more I gasp for air. "I'm sorry" I manage to say, he shakes his head and takes my hand, squeezing it gently as if to say "theres nothing to be sorry about.". He rubs his thumb over the top of my hand, trying to comfort me. It takes me a good five minutes to gain control of my breathing, and to stop crying.

"Im okay now." I finally tell him, and give him a watery smile. He still looks concerned, my eyes betray me as more tears role from them down my face. He smilies slightly and shakes his head again, then wipes my eyes with his handkerchief, again. I lean my face into his shoulder, "Im sorry about this. I guess Im just nervous. First big battle." I try to explain, he pats my shoulder, and then tucks his hand under my chin and brings my eyes up to his. "Everything will be fine." he mouths slowly, so I can understand him. I nod, feeling a little less nervous.

He points with his free hand to a bundle he had brought with him; it is the armor, chain mail, sword and helmet that I had dropped in the armory. "Thanks" I tell him, he nods, then motions for me to stand up. I give him a questioning look, "what?" I ask, he mouths "I'll help" and points again to the bundle. This time I understand; he's going to help me with the armor. He stands up, then offers me a hand I take it, and stand up next to him. He picks up the chain mail first, and holds it up to me, seizing it up. He nods, and hands it to me. "Put it on, like a shirt?" I ask him, he nods. I do "oof, its heavy." I tell him, he gives me a slight smilie. The chain mail falls down, reaching my knees. He patiently helps me with the rest of the armor, which is surprisingly complicated, and heavy. The last thing he hands me is the sword, but it isn't the sword from the armory; its my own sword, the one I grabbed before we left Isengard. I pull the handle up, and see that it has been sharpened for me. I smile at him, "Thank you" I tell him. He nods, then looks me over, straightening my cape and adjusting my helmet. I look down over myself, I can barely recognize me. He grabs my shoulders and squeezes them, "ready?" he mouths. I nod, feeling the panic surge up inside me but then feeling reassured by his strong grip. I smilie "Yes."


	8. A New Life END

This is the last chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything that is from LOTRS, there is a slight reference to Patrica C Wrede's "Talking With Dragons", and I do not own that either. The only thing I own is my own character, Alisada.

The battle is about to begin and it is raining. I see the thousands of Urkai standing there, I hear their long staffs beat against the ground. They are bellowing into the night, they are excited, they are ready for human blood. I turn my head slightly and see Aragorn, his stern face full of determination. I quickly review the commands in my head; one blast of the horn means "fire", two means "cease fire", three mean "charge" and one long blast means "fall back". Its easy enough, I had to memorize it quickly because this cursed rain ruined the paper with the written commands.

Suddenly an arrow from one of the Rohan warriors hits a Urukhai. I hear Theodan shout "Cease your fire!" but it is too late, the Urukhai have prepared their bows. I see aragorn raise the horn to his lips, and one loud blast comes from it.

"FIRE!" I shout at the top of my lungs, and the elves behind us fire their arrows. The Urkhai begin running towards us and I fight with myself to stay grounded and not go running, screaming with terror away from all of this.

Before I know it the Urukhai have come up and over the walls. I see Aragorn draw his sword, I do the same, and then shout "DRAW SWORDS!" to then men behind us. I hear the shrill sound of hundreds of swords being drawn.

Then chaos sets it. I read once somewhere that you can plan and plan and plan for a battle, but when the battle is there and the fighting begins, all hell breaks loose.

This is exactly what is happening. All I can see are blurs of the Urkai, all I can hear are the screams of the men dieing. I fight for my life, like I have never fought before.

Suddenly I feel myself being lifted up and then I am falling, falling, falling. I see the stones of the large wall, and manage to shout "ARAGORN!" before I hit the ground, and then I feel nothing at all.

I wake up to laughter.

Laughter that is all too familiar.

"Ah Alisada. It is good to see you again." I poisonous voice says.

I open my eyes. Saruman is leering over me. I stare at him in confusion.

"How?" I ask

He just laughs, "You thought you could escape from me so easiliy? All I had to do was wait for the right moment to transport you away without causing a scene. I did pretty well, didnt I?"

I am still confused. "What did you do?" I ask him, sitting up. He just laughs.

"I am a wizard. I was able to magically transport you back to me. I would never want to have lost my most prized possession, would I?"

I scoff, "and when did I become your most prized possession?" I ask

Saruman scoffs in return, "Not you. Aragorn, you let him escape!"

"Then why didn't you transport him back?" I ask

He ignore me, something inside me tells me he couldnt because he isnt a good enough wizard to transport two people at once, but I keep my opinion to myself.

"Now, we have to decide on what to do with you. Running away was not a very good idea. Lets see, I think we will start with the Orc's kitchen, and then move on the dungeon rack, oh, and mopping. This entire fortress needs to be cleaned and mopped. I think thats a fair punishment, don't you think?"

I stare at him with disbelief. He wants to punish me with cleaning? The Orc's kitchen? I would rather be eaten by a dragon.

Saruman laughs and stands up. "You better get started, I expect it to be clean by morning." then he leaves.

I immediately think of Aragorn and the battle at Helm's Deep. Whats going to happen now? Did Gandalf arrive yet? I look out my window, but it is too dark. I sigh, then stand up, better get to cleaning.

The Orc's kitchen is dirtier than I expected. Infact, dirty isn't even the right word. More like filthy. The ground has so much dirt, and grease that the soles of my shoes actually stick to it. The table, is covered in scraps of rotting food and the stone oven is so greasy it is black. I sigh, and then get a bucket and a mop. I fill it up with water, and then add lots of powdered soap, and a couple of lemons to make it smell better.

Then I start to work.

I work non-stop until I am exhausted. I have successfully cleaned the floor, chair and table, with soapy lemon water to spare. There is no way to tell time in the kitchen but I feel like it is 3 or 4 in the morning. I set the bucket down on the table and sit down in one of the recently cleaned chairs and close my eyes. I will rest for only a few minutes, then get up and tackle the stove.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING, GIRL?"

I jolt awake in my chair and come nose to nose with an extremely angry Saruman.

"I EXPECTED YOU TO DO A JOB AND YOU DONT DO IT. YOU DISOBEYED MY ORDERS COMPLETELY. HOW DARE YOU!"

As he continues to shout at me, I look past him to the window; it is daylight, but something is off, it is too bright outside. I step aside the still yelling Saruman and take a closer look. There is water, everywhere outside, and there are trees, moving!

"YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE YOUNG LADY, I SWEAR IF YOU DONT GET THIS KITCHEN CLEAN IM GOING TO CURSE YOU INTO OBLIVION"

His power over my has diminished some, in my head all I hear is "blah blah blah blah" I role my eyes at him and walk towards the door.

"AND WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING?"

He grabs me by the should and pushed me against the table, I let out a yelp of pain.

"SARUMAN BACK AWAY FROM HER AT ONCE!"

A new, steady voice says. I look past the Saruman and see a man standing in the kitchen doorway, his is tall and dressed all in white. Standing behind him, is Aragorn. I sigh in relief, he is okay.

Saruman sees Aragorn as well and turns away from me. He begins walking towards Aragorn, who backs away slightly.

"So, the heir of Isliudur has returned, to beg mercy no less? Well he has been greatly mistaken! Nothing can cure him of what ails him!"

He advances towards Aragorn and grabs his arm.

"We never finished our little chat, its back to the dungeon for you!"

Aragorn tries to pull away but Saruman is too strong. He grabs Aragorn's throat roughly and whirls his around towards the back of the kitchen, where there is a door that leads directly to the dungeon.

"Let go of him!" the other man shouts and he attempts to throw Saruman off Aragorn but the wizard grabs his staff with his free hand and sets the man dressed in white ablaze. He screeches and tries desperately to put the fire out.

By this time Saruman has successfully dragged Aragorn halfway across the kitchen. I have to do something, but what? I have no weapons. My eyes land on the bucket of soapy water. Maybe if I toss it at him he will let go? Its worth a try. I grab the bucket.

"Stop it, stop it I say! Let go of him!" I shout, but he ignores me. Exasperated I toss the bucket with as much force as I can at Saruman and Aragorn. To my astonishment, it works, Saruman lets go.. Aragorn stumbles away from him, rubbing his eyes, trying to get the soap out.

I am surprised to hear Saruman whimpering "What have you done to me? Stupid girl! I took you in when nobody wanted you! I gave you a home! And this is how you repay me? Curse you sixteen ways from next Tuesday! May you and your lover boy turn green with blue spots and fall down a flaming bottomless pit with Balrogs at the bottom!"

I step closer and look at him: He is melting! All three of us watch as the defeated Saruman yelps and pleads and cries until he is a big puddle of goo.

"What happened to him? Is he dead?" I ask in astonishment, for I had ment to only make him stop harassing Aragorn.

"it seems you have melted him. Saruman is finally defeated." the man in white replies, (having successfully put out his fire, his clothes are more ashy grey than white.)

"Im very grateful you didn't spill any on me. You did very well, Alisada"

I nod thanks.

"Oh, please forgive me, we havn't been introduced. I am Gandalf."

"Pleasure to meet you" I reply, my attention returns to the puddle of what was once Saruman. It is mixing in with the leftover water has begun draining.

"The filth of Saruman is finally washing away" Gandalf says happily. I smile, astonished at what I actually did. I turn to Aragorn, who is still trying to get soap out of his eyes.

"Are you okay? Im sorry I got you wet. But you were in the way." I tell him, Aragorn smiles, and just nods.

He nods, then tries to speak, and to his astonishment, he can but is so surprised all he can make is a gurgling sound and " tankwhoadaaa".

I smile "Wait, try that again." I tell him, and he does and this time he speaks clearly,

"Thank you, Lady Alisada."

I smile broadly back at him.

He then asks me "What was in that water?"

I shrug "just soap, water and a bit of lemon juice. I needed it to clean out this filthy kitchen. Those darn orcs are just so messy!"

He raises his eyebrows at me,

"Thats all that was in it?"

"Trust me, if I had known that soap, water and lemon juice could defeat Saruman I would of used it much earlier."

Gandalf joins in the conversation "yes, unfortunately that is our wizards downfall. His heart had turned so black that something as pure as water melted him."

He turns to Aragorn, "Im glad your speaking again Aragorn, these past few days have been exceedingly difficult with your silence. Now you can finally tell me what exactly happened." He puts his hand on Aragorn's shoulder and leads him out of the kitchen, leaving me alone.

I smile to myself, things have been changing an awful lot, but I am so happy I don't care. I look around the kitchen and put the bucket down, theres no way I am going to clean it.

With Saruman defeated, we are one step closer to winning this war. I want to go with Aragorn, and Legolas, and Gandalf. They seem like much better company than Saruman ever was. I stare at the leftover goo of what was once the wizard. He has no more power over me, I am finally free! I leave the kitchen, rejoicing in my new found freedom. In the hallway I run into Aragorn.

"I want to thank you, for all you have done" he says, putting a hand on my shoulder "I don't think I would have succeeded without you, Alisada. You truly have my gratitude, my friend." he tells me and smilies I smile back at him, feeling slight butterflies in my stomach.

"Your welcome,my lord. But I didn't do much. It was you who helped me. Thank you for helping me keep my head at Helms Deep" I tell him " Oh, and its nice to finally hear your voice."

He nods "You are a valiant fighter. I have seen many men succumb to fear but none of them have ever beaten it. You are very brave, my lady. Would you like to join me by my side and fight for victory against the armies of Morder?" he asks me.

I nod excitedly, "Yes, I would be honored to join you."

He smiles and takes my hand,

"I'm so glad",

He gently leans forward and kisses me on the forehead.

I finally found my happy ending.

THE END.


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